MILFORD--Milford Police Battalion Chief Anthony Fabrizi has been in Milford for 23 years, and he knows to always be ready for a hurricane.
Fabrizi says planning and preparation are "often is the biggest determining factors of how well you do on the opposite side" of a bad storm.
"Being a shoreline town, and a lot of residential home along the shoreline, puts us at a much greater risk," he said of Milford.
Hurricane season may not officially start until June 1--and we typically don't get hurricanes in New England until later in the season--but for those on the shoreline it takes all year to plan for the worst.
"Preparation comes in the downtime, not in the days or moments before a storm," Fabrizi said, and he's right.
Right now, Page's Hardware in Guilford is calm and empty, but it won't be when a storm is in the forecast. Now is the perfect time to stock up on flashlights, batteries, gas lamps and oil, water and other items to keep you safe and stocked up for a storm. That way, you don't have to risk the stores running out, or prices shooting up.
The police department has learned to operate in the same way.
Fabrizi says it takes all year, but top priorities are "making sure our personnel is prepared, and just as equally as important, making sure our equipment is prepared."
Besidse the items you need, experts say that now is also the time to develop an evacuation plan and preparedness checklist.
"The first and most important question you have to ask yourself is deterimining your level of risk, like 'where do I stand typically in the path of an oncoming hurricane?'" Fabrizi explained.
